Forensic Genealogy & Heirship Research

Our team of Forensic Genealogists and Heirship Researchers are experts at identifying and locating legal heirs or beneficiaries, wherever they may be found. Typical cases involve identifying and finding the legal heirs or beneficiaries to estates, trust, real estate, mineral rights, and quiet title actions but also extend into other legal areas such as citizenship and immigration cases, capital punishment mitigation cases and adoption cases.

There are many factors which determine who the legal heirs really are such as legal and illegal marriages, divorces, biological relationships, relationships vis-a-vis adoption including adoption by estoppel, probated wills, trusts, life estate instruments, inability to disinherit, inability to inherit, statues of limitations, dates of death, intestate laws, domicile, renunciations of inheritance and many other factors.

For both efficiency and effectiveness, we have subscriptions to the most sophisticated and powerful on-line databases some of which are only available to licensed private investigators, law enforcement officials and the like which allow us access to millions of records of pertinent data. We also subscribe or have access to all major electronic genealogical and newspaper resources, as well as on-line court and deed records.

In instances where records are not available electronically or only record indexes are available electronically, we have a network of local historians, genealogists, and court runners who can research and retrieve records.

We have a worldwide network of associates to assist, if need be, in cases identifying and/or locating legal heirs or beneficiaries in foreign countries.

We offer a full range of services from complex heirship research involving multiple generations in various geographical areas to conducting a single record search such as tracking down one known heir or beneficiary. In addition, we provide “Brick Wall” (a/k/a “Please Help”) assistance.

After we have completed our research, we provide our clients with written reports, which depending on the circumstance can be drafted in affidavit format, ready for court presentation. We can also provide charts, all pertinent documents, and all other information obtained during our research. If necessary, we will testify in court.

“Thank you so much for identifying and locating the only child from the decedent’s first marriage. We only knew that the child existed and was adopted out of the family at an early age. This helped us determine all the decedent’s heirs at law and their percentage of the estate.”

Cynthia, Attorney – Dallas, TX

“Wow, your Heirship Report was something else. Not only did it have complete flow charts that showed all of the heirs and their calculated interest but it also had all of their contact information. It made our job of distributing the assets of the terminated Trust easy.”

Bill, Trust Officer – Austin, TX

“Thank you for finding the missing heir and then determining her heirs at law since she was deceased. The family had no contact with her for over 35 years and were not aware of her multiple marriages since they lost all communication. I don’t know how you do it.”

Kay, Attorney – San Antonio, TX

“You found them all (missing beneficiaries and heirs of missing beneficiaries), including the boy adopted out of the family as an infant. Great job.”